"The demon-exorcism team has been established. We've selected one hundred elite police officers to form the team. Would you like to meet them?"
At the MIB Headquarters, Agent O asked Mike, who had rarely visited the headquarters.
It had been almost a month since Christmas. After spending a wonderful holiday with the girls in Genovia, Mike was once again dispatched by Agent O to deal with supernatural incidents.
After traveling back and forth for such a long time, he finally saw an opportunity to be a hands-off boss again.
Yes, after the initial outbreak of supernatural incidents, evil spirits and urban legends had stabilized.
Moreover, their harmfulness and abilities were not very strong.
If there was a professional team dedicated to handling these matters, Mike could confidently hand over the authority.
"Of course, before they take on assignments, I need to vet them," Mike nodded.
Even excellent police officers were still ordinary people. Mike was merely having them share the workload, not sending them to their deaths.
Therefore, before assigning tasks, Mike also needed to "bestow" upon them some self-preservation abilities.
"Come with me. Those young men are all at the training ground now. I'm sure they'd also like to meet you first," Agent O said, then led Mike towards the headquarters' training base.
At the large training ground, one hundred well-trained police elites had each received their demon-exorcism equipment from Agent Z.
Exorcism holy water, blessed Bibles, and ultraviolet weapon series.
The police officers, who had never encountered such equipment, couldn't help but curiously examine their demon-exorcism kits after receiving them.
"Fall in line!"
When Mike and Agent O walked into the training ground, a police officer with the highest rank immediately lined up the team.
"Reporting, sir, Lieutenant Frank reporting to you!" After lining up, the lieutenant came before Mike and saluted, "The special team has one hundred members present out of one hundred. Awaiting your instructions!"
"Very good, very spirited!!!" Mike surveyed the one hundred police officers on the field and nodded with satisfaction.
He had mentioned to Agent O before that the members needed for the demon-exorcism team, while professional competence was secondary, must possess "faith."
As for who they should have faith in? That would naturally be Mike, the initiator.
It seemed Agent O had clearly taken it to heart.
As official personnel, New York police officers undoubtedly had access to more information than ordinary people outside.
This included the legendary experiences of Mike, the boss of the MIB.
And these people selected by Agent O looked at Mike with a hint of admiration, more or less.
This also largely met Mike's requirements for "believers."
"I believe you all know what joining the demon-exorcism team means. Evil spirits, urban legends… one misstep, any of them could cost you your lives," Mike walked around the demon-exorcism team, finally stopping directly in front of everyone, and said, "So, are you ready to sacrifice your lives for the cause of exorcism?"
"If not, it's still not too late to withdraw now."
Dealing with low-level supernatural incidents was as easy as eating and drinking for Mike. But for the police officers in the demon-exorcism team, there would inevitably be sacrifices.
These were all foreseeable events.
After all, their opponents would be monsters with various unpredictable abilities.
"No one is withdrawing?" Mike waited for a moment and, seeing no one step forward, continued, "Very good, welcome to the MIB Demon Exorcism Team."
"From now on, no matter what your position outside, in the MIB, you have only one identity, and that is Demon Exorcist Agent."
"Here, you have no names, only codenames."
Following the rules of the MIB would allow these newly joined police officers to integrate into the organization more quickly.
"Given the dangerous nature of demon-exorcism work, I will now bestow upon you some corresponding abilities." After organizing the induction ceremony, Mike waved his hand, materializing specks of white light, and according to the level of faith of the demon exorcist agents, he fed back the Power Of Faith to their individual bodies.
As the white light dispersed, some demon exorcist agents could already independently cast Holy Light Shields, while others could attach the Power Of Faith to their fists.
More people, however, only emitted a faint glow, enough to withstand a few attacks from evil spirits.
Of course, this wasn't Mike showing favoritism; the source of power was already clear.
These demon exorcist agents were like Mike's [Believers]; how much blessing they received depended entirely on their sincerity.
"Alright, now you can form teams of ten and go to Agent O to receive missions." After handing over the cumbersome demon-exorcism work, Mike felt incredibly relaxed at this moment.
After giving Agent O a few more instructions, Mike once again acted as a hands-off boss and leisurely left the MIB Headquarters.
...
"Mike, according to reports from residents in the Iron Hills area and the Dale Guard, Orc scouts have recently been sighted around the Lonely Mountain," In the Lonely Mountain Great Hall, the ageless half-elf Sophia reported to the "returned" Mike.
One day in heaven, one year on earth...
Because of the different flow of time, only a little over two months had passed in the main world, while sixty years had passed in Middle-earth.
During these sixty years, although Mike would come to visit whenever he had time, due to the supernatural incidents in the main world, his total number of visits was still not many.
Sometimes, he might not even be able to come once every one or two years.
After all, one or two years passing here meant only one or two days in the main world.
A slight delay, and time would slip by.
"Sixty years have passed, it seems the dark forces have forgotten the terror of the Lonely Mountain," Mike leaned lazily on the Lonely Mountain Throne and said, "Increase the bounty, and have the rangers in the Lonely Mountain track the Orc scouts. At the same time, prepare the Lonely Mountain Guard's forces, ready to go to war with the dark forces at any time."
The dark forces stirring again were precisely Mike's opportunity to once again harvest the Power Of Faith in Middle-earth.
Given the might of Mike, the Lord of the Lonely Mountain, the area around the Lonely Mountain had always been one of the most stable regions in Middle-earth.
Sixty years of development allowed a large number of people seeking a stable life to gather here. With a population base, the strength of the Lonely Mountain Guard also expanded rapidly.
Now, this force might not be incapable of confronting the Mordor forces.
"Is war coming? I will have my subordinates prepare…" Sophia reacted for a moment, then asked, "By the way, do we need to send people to contact the Sindar Elves in the Green Forest and King Bard of Dale?"
Since the Lonely Mountain battle sixty years ago, Elven King Thranduil of the Sindar Elves in the Green Forest had maintained good relations with the Lonely Mountain forces.
Some Sindar Elves even chose to settle in the forests around the Lonely Mountain.
As for the current King Bard of Dale, he was Bard's son. Inheriting his father's legacy, he could be considered a vassal of the Lonely Mountain forces.
"The Sindar Elves and the Kingdom of Dale?" Mike pondered, "Contact them in my name and ensure that when the war begins, everyone can fight on a united front."
...
On the other side, in Gondor and Rohan, which were closer to Mordor, these two countries were also plagued by the stirring of the Mordor forces.
And for ordinary humans, sixty years was enough to change many things.
Take Rohan, for example. Thengel of Rohan, who had received Mike's help and restored his ancestors' glory, had long since grown old. The current King of Rohan had become his son, King Théoden.
The little fellow who followed his father back to Rohan years ago was now over sixty years old.
"Éomer, for the future of Rohan, I plan to go to the Lonely Mountain to seek help from that Lord. Will you come with me?" In a corner of the Rohan palace, Éowyn approached her brother.
King Théoden, like his father, was a wise king, but as years passed, he had grown old and inevitably became somewhat muddled.
Coupled with the instigation of the treacherous minister Gríma, he actually ignored the imminent encroachment of Mordor's dark forces.
Seeing Rohan showing signs of chaos, Éowyn began to worry about her uncle, King Théoden.
Yes, King Théoden, who had inherited the throne of Rohan, had no heirs, and Éowyn and Éomer were merely his niece and nephew.
Éowyn and Éomer, these two members of the Rohan royal family, had also grown up hearing Mike's legendary stories.
Therefore, Éowyn once again placed Rohan's hope on Mike, the Lord of the Lonely Mountain.
"Gríma is watching us closely. He won't let us go to the Lonely Mountain to seek outside help…" Éomer secretly glanced at the "National Advisor" who was currently flattering the King of Rohan in the great hall, then gritted his teeth and said, "However, to save Rohan again, that Lord in the Lonely Mountain is indeed a very good choice. So, I am willing to go with you—"
Indulging in pleasure and allowing power to fall into others' hands, the current King King Théoden of Rohan had embarked on the same path as his grandfather, King Fengel.
And Éowyn and her brother's plan this time could be seen as an attempt to set things right.
Thus, after disguising themselves, the siblings avoided the eyes and ears of National Advisor Gríma, secretly left Rohan, and embarked on the road to the Lonely Mountain.
...
As for Gondor, which was closer to Mordor, King Théoden's childhood friend, Denethor, was also over sixty years old now.
Unlike King Théoden, this Regent of Gondor had a stronger mental fortitude, so even in his old age, he had not been infiltrated or swayed by the dark forces.
And under his rule, the powerful Gondor had now become a nail driven into the doorstep of Mordor's dark forces.